Not her Daddy's Arms
by Eriks-lil-rocker
Summary: The aftermath of almost being killed. Jim begins to realize just how much he's lost his daughter to that soldier boy.


**TITLE: **They aren't Daddy's arms

**SHIP: **Maddy Shannon / Mark Reynolds

**FANDOM: **Terra Nova

**RATING: **K+

**SUMMARY: **The aftermath of Maddy's near death experience. Jim Shannon needs to hold her but he realizes Maddy needs not her daddy's comfort.

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Terra Nova or it's characters. I'm just borrowing them. I do own the story and my words. Plagiarism is punishable in the eyes of Jim Shannon.

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><p>It had been a long day. Jim Shannon sighed as he stepped out of the shower only in a pair of sweats. He had saved his daughter and his son came out and confessed a crime. A crime that was punishable by law. Could he really incarcerate his own son? He could hear his youngest daughter and oldest daughter in the living room chatting animatedly about something. She must be really shaken up he thought as he stood at the doorway. He watched them both move freely in the living room as they played some kind of game. He scratched his head as he tried to make it out.<p>

"I really wish he had been a vampire instead." Zoë suddenly remarks in seriousness as she embraces her older sister. Her eyes gleaming with a mixture of sadness, confusion and happiness. Jim almost thought the young child understood the situation. Maybe she did, maybe she also was growing too fast for him. He held down a sinking feeling in his stomach. Not her too. He thought as he watched Maddy. Maddy his oldest, his little girl, his princess. He watched her smiling at her as he pushed away the feelings of dread and fear. The thought of not having her, not seeing her, the prospect that right now she could be dead instead of here with Zoë just killed him. Maddy said nothing but just smiled and returned the loving embrace and tickled her sister.

"Well I got to shower love." Maddy rose to her feet as she kissed Zoë on the forehead.

"Your okay right Maddy?" Zoë asked as she looked her sister in the eye.

"Yeah I'm okay." She replied with a hard grin. He knew it was a lie, a cover up. He knew his daughter in and out. He knew she needed to be comforted. He knew she needed her daddy's comfort. After all who had she run to in the middle of the night after bad dreams. He had rushed her to and from hospital to hospital that night that she had fallen gravely ill. He had first held her in his arms the day she was born. Maddy needed his comfort. Maddy kissed him on the cheek with a pretend smile as she passed him in the doorway.

"DADDY!" Zoë screamed as she pulled Jim into the room and took his attention momentarily away from his older daughter.

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><p>The doors opened simultaneously, the front and the restroom door. Out of one emerged Maddy in a t shirt and shorts and from the other his wife and the intruder. Jim glowered at his wife as she came in laughing with the enemy.<p>

"Oh Mark." She laughed slightly hitting him on the arm. Mark smiled his charming smile as he placed the grocery bags on the table. Jim glowered more and if looks could kill, Mark would be a pile of ash right now. Jim stood up and instead focused on her. He smiled at her as she smiled back. It wouldn't matter he would have to wait. His baby needed him more then anything.

"How you holding up kiddo?" Jim asked as he followed her to her room. She smiled that fake smile.

"I'm okay daddy." Maddy lied, Maddy had gotten good at that. Years without a father and many inquisitive people around you with no real care about you but always ask out of courtesy the how are you. Which would be followed by a less then genuine I am okay. I am fine. I am great. For she was the optimistic perky smart girl. Everyone's support system. She held the family together in his absence. She dealt with Josh's ever growing angst and anger for their father. She smiled as he gave her the look. She knew he was not buying it but she couldn't break down. She had to be strong, she always had to be strong.

"Don't want to talk about anything?"

"No."

"Nothing at all?" His eyes furrowed curiously

"No."

"No thoughts about today?" He pressed as he looked at her, searched her for that look. That look that said daddy I need you. It was no longer there. He choked down as he began to realize his daughter was actually growing up and being independent or so he thought.

"I'm fine dad. I'll be fine." Maddy replied with a half smile. She knew he was breaking apart with the concept. It broke her heart as she ran a hand down his face with a smile. She wasn't fine at all, but she saw no point in breaking down and crying like a child. That wouldn't solve her problems. That would not change the fact that she had almost been murdered. That the iconic hero she had admired for so long was dead and she was almost killed by his imposter. She pushed down the sudden threat of tears and emotions as their eyes met. Maddy tried to give him her best reassurance. That she was not scared anymore. She was not that scared little five year old.

"If you need anything, anything at all. I'm right here baby girl, waiting with open arms." There was a soft knock on the door Jim cringed and clenched his teeth. The boy reeked off dirt and dung, of a hard days work. The boy had been OTG for the past week. He had been scheduled to return in two weeks not today. Maddy's face lighted up so fast it almost hurt Jim to notice it. All her anxieties and torments forgotten as their eyes met.

"I waited outside. Thought you were done." He spoke to Jim. "Thought it was a good time. I'm sorry if I interrupted." Jim released a frustrated sigh as he half greeted the boy. "I rushed over here as soon as I heard.. I had to see if you were okay love." Jim glared at the boy as he exited the room. Mark Reynolds looked her over memorizing every bit of her body. She could no longer hold her tears back and ran to him and embraced him. "I'm sorry love . ..I promised to protect you... I should have been there..."

"Mark just hold me please."


End file.
